CASSIUS Casas, once hailed as the future of Philippine golf and whose resume included a one-on-on one with Tiger Woods, died on Monday in a hospital in Davao City.
His death was disclosed by his sister, Angie, who rushed him to the hospital where he expired after complaining about breathing difficulties. Actual cause of death was unavailable although he suffered a heart attack in 2020.
He was 57 and died 12 days before his 58th birthday.
READ Former Philippine Open champ Cassius Casas dies aged 57
His sister said Cassius was in poor health the past few weeks and was scheduled for a thorough checkup from a cardiologist when he died.
Casas had risen from being an unknown junior golfer tutored by his father, who was a teaching pro at the Apo Golf Club in Davao City when he was discovered while playing in hometown tournaments. He then parlayed his natural talent to become a standout amateur and an outstanding professional golfer.
But his fortunes dipped in recent years and many of his friends shied away. In his final days, he had few contemporaries to console him. “I was not asking for money,” he said, when he was in the hospital for a month. “I just wanted them to visit me.”
In his last few years, Cassius, named by his father after the famed Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, retreated to a small fishing village In Davao in the hometown of his live-in partner.
He seemed to have resigned himself into simply living his life beside the sea, which he found fulfilling and therapeutic. His best days, apparently over.
“As long as we have rice, we’re good,” he was quoted by golf website, golf pinoy dotcom, as saying in an interview.
Though he was estimated to have earned around P50 million over two decades as a pro, his medical bills and the lack of a regular source of employment in the last few years, emptied his pocket and his heirs were reported to have appealed for help to cover his last hospital stay estimated at P61,000.
Casas, by his own estimate, said he won 76 titles, both local and international. He resume included winning the Philippine Open in 2001, the Philippine Masters in 2000 and the Razon Cup in 2010 and 2015 besides other tournaments in the local tour.
During his prime, he was a regular in the Asian Tour and won three of them – the Indonesia Masters twice and the Singapore PGA championship.
But there was no question his golf was good and it earned him an invite to play with Tiger Woods, who was just then a rising star, in 1998, at Mimosa Golf Club in Tarlac before a large crowd that included then President Fidel Ramos.
In 2002, he qualified to play in the US Open in Bethpage Black, becoming the first Filipino to play in the prestigious event. His entry was made possible when a qualifier withdrew at the last minute and he was tapped to take his place, being the first alternate in the qualifying tournament held in California.
He ended dead last, after rounds of 82, 12 over par, in the first round, and 92 in the second round. He was 34 over par for the tournament which had 156 entries. One withdrew and he was 155th.
Happy-to-lucky kind of guy
Cassius is remembered as a happy-go-lucky kind of guy who was kind and generous with friends. He also was reported to have a knack for having relations with various women.
“Overall, he is a really kind person,” said Buddy Resurrection, a local golf institution who saw Cassius play in the Asian Tour when he was part of the rules committee.
“He also had fondness for women,” recalled Resurrection.
Cassius is survived by six children and was estranged from his wife. When he died, he was living with a 28-year-old woman who has been his partner for many years.
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